Improvement in hay-rakes



P. FITZGERALD.

Hay Rake.

Patented Oct. 5, 1858.

faggi.

U EN UNITED STATES PETER FITZGERALD, OF GONSTANTIA, OHIO.

llVlPROVEM ENT IN HAY-RAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 21.664, dated October 5, 1858.'

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER FITZGERALD, of Oonstantia, in the county ot' Delaware and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Carriage or Wheeled Horse-Rakes for Baking Hay; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description ot' the same, reference being had to the accom pany ing drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical and longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 a plan view, of the machine, and Fig. 3 a detached side view of the adjustable cam-plate T.

4The nature of my invention consists in rais-v ing the rake-teeth ot' a carriage-rake, to empty them of the hay collected by them, by the movement ofthe truck-wheels ol' the machine, and in an arrangement of parts by which the rakefteeth are kept in contact with the ground when raking, or held and kept suspended above the ground when the machine is moved from place to place, as may be required also, in an arrangement of parts by which the rake-teeth are cleared of't'heir gathered load and by which the windrow is compressed and packed into a smaller place and space.

A is the frame ofthe machine, resting upon and secured to the axle-tree B. It has a tongue or pole or a pair ot' shafts attached to its front end, to which the team by which it is moved and propelled is secured.

O O' are a pair of wagon or truck wheels of ordinary construction, which revolve upon and are secured to the outer ends of the axle-tree B in the usual manner, and which may be constructed especially for the purpose; or the axletrees may be itted to any wheels that may belong to vehicles adapted to other purposes, if it is desired to save the ext-ra expense of a separate and special set of wheels.

D is the rakeshaft, working in the rear end of the frame A, by which the rakes are elevatedthrough the arms HH and thecross-bar h.

E E are rake-heads jointed or otherwise connected together at their inner ends, and suspended from the crossbar h by chains, straps, or other dexible connections, so that the raketeeth can follow the sinuosities of the ground over which they are operated. They are made ot a length greater than the width of thetrack of the truck-wheels of' the machine to allow the rake-teeth to operate close up to fences,

stumps, and other obstructions, and are attached to the outer sides of the back end ot' the fraine A by the armsff, which arms can be raised or lowered, and can be expanded to a greater or less degree on the frame to alter the inclination ot' the rake-teeth or to adapt the machine to the varyingheightot' thediferent truclcwheels which may be used upon and with it, as set forthabove.

F F are sets of spring rake-teeth of ordinary construction, which are inserted in the rake-heads E E', the teeth-being kept in position with each other by being attached and fastened to the bars G G.

I is a cleaner, attached at its inner ends t the axle-tree ot' the machine by pins or bolts, so that its outer end can be raised or lowered and connected to the rake-shaftD by the iiexible connection g, so that is lowered to clean and disengage the gathered load. from the rake-teeth when the teeth are raised from the ground, and raised out of the way ot' the hay to be gathered when the teeth are lowered to the ground, and which further serve to compress and pack the hay collected by the raketeeth into a windrow by its weight when passing over it.

J is a shaft working in suitable boxesin the frame A, and having a sliding movement endwise, as well as a rotary movement, to which the handle K is attached, by which the rakes can be lifted and depressed by hand, and by which the rakes arel depressed, as hereinafter described, when they are lifted by the wheel ot' the machine, through the connection L, attached to the lever aon the rake-shaft D.

M is a clutch attached to the outer end ot' the shaft J, which is thrown in contact with the spokes of the wheel C by the operator to lift the rakes when they' have gathered a suttcient quantity of hay and require to be emptied of their load.

N is a shalt constructed and worked in a similar manner to the shaft J and placed on the opposite side ot' the frame A, which has the friction brake O attached to its outer end, which retains and holds the rake-teeth in contact with the ground, when the brake is pressed against the inner side of the rim ofthe wheel O by the operator, through the lever P, connected to the arm b on the rake-shaft by the dexible connection c. Y

Q Q' is a pair of levers connected together by the bar d and operated by the handle e, by [and allows the rake-teeth to fall to the ground,

which the clutchv M and brake O are moved simultaneously, one inwardly andthe other outwardly, for the purposes described.

R is a stop-bar acting upon the pin h on the rake-shaftD, by which the rakes are kept suspended when the machine is moved from place to place and when the rake-teeth are required to be kept inoperative. .It is worked and operated by the foot of the driver, who sits in the seat S to guide and direct the teatri and to control and regulate Vthe operation of themachine.

T is an adjustable cam-plate, against th edge of which the handle K comes in contact, when the rakes are elevated by the wheel C, for the purpose ot' withdrawing the clutch M from the spokes of the wheel C to allow the teeth ofthe rakes to fall to the ground after they have deposited their gathered load. It is made adjustable by sliding it to or from the side-of the machine to allow the rakes to be lifted to a greater or less degree, in proportion to the weight and quantity of the crop to be gathered, by allowing the handle K to strike its angling edge sooner or later.

Tooperatethe machine, the rakes are dropped so that the points of their teeth come in contact with the ground. The team is then started, the brake O being kept in contact with the wheel C to prevent the teeth of the rake rising from the ground by the Weight of the hay being gatheredacting against them, and when a sufficient quantity of hay has been collected by the rakes to form a windrow ofproper size the clutch M is thrown in contact with one of the spokes of the wheel C by the handle K, moved by the operator, and the rakes are lifted by the rotation and movement of that wheel at the same time that the clearer I operates to discharge and clear from the rakes their gathered load, and to compress and pack the hay in the windrow to preventit. being blown about by the Wind. When the rakes are lif'ted through the movement given to the handle K, as described, the irictioufbrake 0 is at the same time withdrawn from contact with the wheel C. The action ofthe Wheel Gupon the clutch M revolves the handle K, and brings it in contact with tho beveled edge ot' the cam T, and withdraws the clutch from the wheel,

and the friction-brake to be acted upon by the wheel C. as before. When the machine is to be moved from place to place, and the rakes are required to be inoperative, they are raised from the ground, as when they are unloaded, and the stop-bar R is moved over the pin hon the rake-shaft by the foot of the operator,and they are kept thus suspended until they are released by removing the bar from 0E the pin.

By forming the rakes in sections and connecting them together at the point of division they can be used on rough or uneven ground as perfectly as on level and evenground, and by extending the rakes beyond the lines of the truck-Wheels the ground can be raked close i up to fences, stumps, or other obstacles.

By depressing or holding the rake-teeth in Contact with the ground by the friction-brake acting upon one of the truck-wheels, I am enabled to dispense with the loading or weighting down ot' the rakes to keep them from rising when gathering their load, which would otherwise require to be used, and which would render theelevation of the rakes more diliicult and require the exercise of more power to effect it; and by elevating the rakes,`\vhen loaded, by the action ot' the other wheel in stead of raising them by-a lever worked by the operator, I not only lessen the labor ofthe operator, butalso enable the machine to be worked andtended by a boy, as the most laborious portion ot' his attendance upon the machine would be the management and control of the team drawing it.

AI do not claim attaching to a wheeled ve hicle rakes to be used to rake hay., nor the construction ofthe rake-teeth nor their attachment to the rake-heads; but

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination of the shat'ts J and N and the clutch M and brake 0 with the levers Q Q', bar d,- handle e, and cam T, for the purpose ot' putting the brake and clutch in operation, as described, and for the objects set forth.

PETER FITZGERALD.

Witnesses: i

H. W. Horta, UHAjs. E. HoAR. 

